Bullet Train’s David Leitch on action in a confined space: “It forces you to be creative” – ​​Exclusive

Correction: In our Bullet Train article in the July 2022 issue of Empire, we reported that production company 87North was founded by David Leitch and Chad Stahelski. In fact, 87North is owned by Leitch and producer Kelly McCormick; Stahelski is not involved, although he and Leitch remain co-owners of action design firm 87Eleven, which is a separate organization.

If there is anything to expect from David Leitch, former Brad Pitt stuntman, director of Atomic blonde Yes Deadpool 2 and important contributor to john wick, it’s flawless on-screen action. with a new movie High speed trainPlayed by Pitt as an assassin named Ladybug attempting to grab a briefcase full of money from the Japanese Shinkansen train while battling a plethora of other highly skilled assassins, Leitch has faced a new test of his acting skills: choreographing scenes from thrilling combat. in the narrow and constrained environment of several wagons.

“I’m not going to say it was without difficulty,” says Leitch. Empire. “I think summer movies should have a certain level of action and show. How do you create it in this confined space? It just forces you to be creative. Where is he john wick the franchise gave us “gun fu”, “book fu” and even “horse fu”, High speed train It includes the use of everyday objects in its fight scenes: expect variations on “kettle fu”, “laptop fu” and even “water bottle fu”. There was also room to mix things up in the cars – there are 16 in total, including one dedicated to a fictional character from the anime, “Momomon”, and of course the silent car. “Adds a entire another flexibility to choreography, “says Leach. Brian Tyree Henry, who plays the English hitman and Thomas the tank Lover of lemon, I had the pleasure of photographing this one in particular. “The fact that I had a fight with Brad Pitt in a quiet car, that we tried to shut up while we punched each other in the face, was a lot of fun to play,” she says. “You’re like a kid in a candy store.” Next stop: very quiet.

This combination of intricate hand-to-hand combat with a more comical tone is reminiscent of one of cinema’s most prolific martial arts masters: “It takes a raw line of action, but with an element of humor infused,” says Pitt. . “Almost like Jackie Chan. I have the impression that he is in this wake. Director Leitch agrees: “Jackie is always an inspiration. Just like Chan is famous for doing most of his stunts, Pitt did High speed train, which probably caused some bruising. “You’re still a little beat up,” says Pitt. “We are quite well padded. Some of the toughest guys go without pads. I’m not that guy.

Read Empire’s High speed train full functionality in the new The Lord of the Rings: The rings of power theme – on newsstands now, or order a copy online here. High speed train It has been in theaters since August 5th.